San Jose State Spartans
The Spartans were able to avoid a third consecutive setback last week when they topped an awful Hawaii team 42-23. San Jose State was the clear-cut favorite coming in, and had little trouble covering the spread in the end against the Rainbow Warriors.

It seemed like everyone on the Spartans was taking turns beating up on Hawaii, as quarterback Kenny Potter had three passing and two rushing touchdowns, with running back Tyler Ervin running 20 times for 114 yards and a score and Tim Crawley, Hansell Wilson and Brad Kuh all hauling in scores as well. The San Jose State defense wasn't dominant by any means, allowing a big day on the ground from Hawaii, but they did enough to limit the damage and assert their control throughout.

Now the Spartans will close out with a home showdown against Boise State, needing a win to be bowl-eligible. At 5-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play, San Jose would love nothing more than to close out the season in style and hurt Boise State's prospects in the process. If the Spartans are to do just that, however, they're going to need Potter and Ervin to contribute in a big way again.

Boise State Broncos
This is not exactly how the Broncos wanted to finish out the regular season. They've lost each of their last two games after a strong 7-2 start, so we know they're going to be eager to get out on the field and prove they're better than what they've been showing recently. Overall Boise State is 7-4 to go with a 4-3 record in the Mountain West, a mark they'll try to improve in California on Friday evening.

Like San Jose State, the Broncos have an effective running back who's going to get a lot of touches on a consistent basis. That man is Jeremy McNichols, who's logged 201 carries for 1,052 yards and 16 touchdowns while also recording over 300 receiving yards and four receiving TDs. He's been doing a little of everything for this offense week in and week out.

Alongside the sophomore running back, Boise State will need a good showing from QB Brett Rypien, who owns a 15:7 TD:INT ratio. He's been targeting Thomas Sperbeck frequently, and the results have been spectacular, with Sperbeck already having 76 receptions for 1,289 yards and eight trips to the end zone. If those two can find that chemistry again, San Jose State is going to be in trouble.

Final Analysis
With desperation on their side, we're expecting the Broncos to come out with a fired up effort as road favorites this Friday.

While the Spartans are going to try and get Ervin established early and often, Boise State is one of the few teams out there that has as talented of a back; McNichols has been a stud for Boise State this season, and the connection between Rypien and Sperbeck in the passing game has been excellent too.

We think the Broncos, behind the play of that trio, will be able to find success offensively and gain control of this matchup. We believe they'll not only win but also cover the spread with our college football picks by doing so by at least a touchdown in San Jose on the day after Thanksgiving.